# Nous Research Raises $75M+ at $1.5B Valuation for Hermes Agents

By Ray Termsheet · 2026-07-13 · Deals & Funding · https://datacommenter.com/nous-research-raises-75m-at-1-5b-valuation-for-hermes-agents/
About the author: Follows the money in the data economy: venture rounds, M&A, and strategic stakes across data vendors and infrastructure.

> Nous Research, maker of the open-source Hermes agent models, is in talks to raise at least $75 million led by investment firm Robot with participation from Union Square Ventures, valuing…

Original reporting: [TechCrunch AI](https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/13/hermes-agent-maker-nous-research-in-talks-for-new-funding-at-1-5b-valuation/)
_AI-assisted commentary, editorially reviewed. Quoted excerpts belong to the original outlet._

Nous Research, the open-weights lab behind the Hermes line of agentic models, is reportedly closing in on a raise of at least $75 million that would value the company at $1.5 billion, per TechCrunch AI’s July 13, 2026 report. The round is being led by a firm identified only as Robot, with Union Square Ventures among the backers — a notable vote of confidence from a VC shop better known for consumer and fintech bets than frontier-model plays.

The $1.5 billion figure is worth treating with the usual caution until a term sheet actually closes; open-model labs have seen valuations swing wildly based on hype cycles rather than revenue, and Nous has built its reputation more on developer mindshare and fine-tuning chops than on disclosed commercial traction.

> A $1.5B tag on an open-weights agent shop says more about investor FOMO on agentic AI than about Nous’s balance sheet.

Still, the deal underscores how much capital is chasing agent infrastructure specifically, not just base-model training — money that increasingly flows to teams positioning their models as the reasoning layer for autonomous workflows. Watch whether Robot and USV disclose more about the round’s structure and whether Nous uses the cash to compete more directly with well-funded rivals like Mistral and Together AI on enterprise agent deployments.

> The company is raising at least $75 million, led by Robot, with significant participation from USV and other prominent investors.
> — [TechCrunch AI](https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/13/hermes-agent-maker-nous-research-in-talks-for-new-funding-at-1-5b-valuation/)

[Read the full story at TechCrunch AI →](https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/13/hermes-agent-maker-nous-research-in-talks-for-new-funding-at-1-5b-valuation/)

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Cite this analysis: https://datacommenter.com/nous-research-raises-75m-at-1-5b-valuation-for-hermes-agents/
Cite primary facts: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/13/hermes-agent-maker-nous-research-in-talks-for-new-funding-at-1-5b-valuation/
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